Here's another story about babysitting in the neighborhood. You may want to know where this wild and wacky neighborhood is but I will never tell.
I was very big on the prospect of earning money. At 12-15, babysitting was my best option. Truthfully, it was pretty lucrative for those days.
A couple lived a few houses down from my parents. They had a toddler. They both worked full time and the wife went to school at night. My job was to feed and play with the toddler, then bathe him and have him ready for bed when the husband came home. Easy enough.
Before I go any further, remember I was about 12 or 13 and totally naive.
One night, I am bathing the baby. I hear the husband come in so I yelled, "Hello, we're almost finished in the tub." When I walked out, he was completely nude. In a very nonchalant way, he said, "We don't wear clothes in our house."
*** Brain clicking *** Brain freaking *** Don't know what to do. By the way, I had never seen a naked man. But, I tried to be cool and pretend this happened to me all the time. Oh sure, lots of my friend's parents didn't wear clothes.
So, I put the baby to bed and returned home. My parents were lying in their bedroom, watching television. I tried to act normal. "Did you know that the Rxxxxxx don't wear clothes when they're at home?"
My father doesn't leap. He jumped out of that bed and was out the door before I could finish my sentence.
That family moved.
If I get really brave, I may try this on the oldies.
Showing posts with label babysitting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label babysitting. Show all posts
Monday, July 23, 2007
Sunday, July 22, 2007
28 Pounds
Although I am an only child, I have a pseudo sister.
When I was twelve years old, a new family moved in across the street. I offered my services as a babysitter for their two-year old daughter and infant son. I was a safe option, with my parents right across the street. I babysat for them a lot. They also spent a lot of time with my parents. When my dad would come home from work, the daughter would stand on the sidewalk and scream across the street, "Paulie, I weigh 28 pounds."
My mother went through a tough time when I headed off to college. Luckily, my sister was there. She helped decorate the Christmas tree and she hung out. She loved (and still loves) hanging out in the kitchen with my mother.
When she was a teenager, we grilled her about everything. Boys, school, sex, politics, etc. I would've run away screaming but she put up with us.
She was in a horrible car accident in her late teens -- we honestly didn't know if she would survive. My mother went to the hospital and later the rehab place every day. No one (with the possible exception of her parents) prayed harder than my mother. She survived and thrived.
Today, she's married and the mother of three. She and my mother have lots of rituals and traditions that have nothing to do with me. They have standing dates for certain tv shows. She and my mother make all of the Christmas candy. They regularly go for gas station cappuccinos. I find it amusing that they have so much in common because none of this interests me. They invite me sometimes. I decline.
I pulled her aside once and said, "Please don't ever hurt my parents." I now realize how dumb that was. They're her parents too. She's my sister.
When I was twelve years old, a new family moved in across the street. I offered my services as a babysitter for their two-year old daughter and infant son. I was a safe option, with my parents right across the street. I babysat for them a lot. They also spent a lot of time with my parents. When my dad would come home from work, the daughter would stand on the sidewalk and scream across the street, "Paulie, I weigh 28 pounds."
My mother went through a tough time when I headed off to college. Luckily, my sister was there. She helped decorate the Christmas tree and she hung out. She loved (and still loves) hanging out in the kitchen with my mother.
When she was a teenager, we grilled her about everything. Boys, school, sex, politics, etc. I would've run away screaming but she put up with us.
She was in a horrible car accident in her late teens -- we honestly didn't know if she would survive. My mother went to the hospital and later the rehab place every day. No one (with the possible exception of her parents) prayed harder than my mother. She survived and thrived.
Today, she's married and the mother of three. She and my mother have lots of rituals and traditions that have nothing to do with me. They have standing dates for certain tv shows. She and my mother make all of the Christmas candy. They regularly go for gas station cappuccinos. I find it amusing that they have so much in common because none of this interests me. They invite me sometimes. I decline.
I pulled her aside once and said, "Please don't ever hurt my parents." I now realize how dumb that was. They're her parents too. She's my sister.
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